Marcos to outgoing Chinese envoy: We will miss you
While Manila and Beijing relations grew tepid over the past few years, President Marcos still warmly welcomed outgoing Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian in a farewell courtesy call in Malacañang on Thursday and thanked him for his six years of service in strengthening bilateral ties.
“It’s unfortunate we didn’t make much more progress on the difficulties that we have in the South China Sea, West Philippine Sea,” the President told Huang.
“But I think, considering how difficult the situation was, that we have managed to keep things at least away from too much problem,” he added.
“We will miss you,” Mr. Marcos said to the envoy. “I think you have made a very good second home already here in Manila.”
In a news release of the Presidential Communications Office, President Marcos said the two countries should “not allow these differences to define our relationship,” stressing that the West Philippine Sea issue was not the sum-total of the country’s relations with Beijing.
Regular meetings with Duterte
Huang assumed his post as China’s ambassador to the Philippines in December 2019, after presenting his credentials to then-President Rodrigo Duterte.
In the remaining years of his administration, Duterte said he had “regular” meetings with the Chinese envoy.
The Philippines would then pivot back to its long-time ally, the United States, under the Marcos administration, with the President pushing back against China and asserting the country’s sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.
During a House hearing in May 2024, former Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana bared that Huang had mentioned a “gentleman’s agreement” starting in 2021 between Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.
President Marcos was “horrified” by the revelation and said he was rescinding it. It was not specifically known, however, what the agreement was all about.
Numerous summons
In his almost six-year tenure, Huang made controversial remarks, usually undermining the claims of the Philippines to the West Philippine Sea.
He was also repeatedly summoned by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) over China’s repeated harassment of Philippine boats within the country’s exclusive economic zone.
In July, Huang was summoned by the DFA which conveyed the Philippine government’s concern over Beijing’s imposition of sanctions against former Sen. Francis Tolentino, allegedly due to his “egregious conduct” on China-related issues.
Tolentino authored two bills that reinforced Manila’s territorial claims in the South China Sea—the Philippine Maritime Zones Act (Republic Act No. 12064) and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act (RA 12065).
